Interception

[Gunner Stahl]

The sudden change in climates was difficult, even for someone who had grown accustomed to it such as him. The excursion into deep sea diving just a few days before, the lieutenant had simply been adjusting back to surface life. The call had come in early the day before, and it had taken more than 24 hours of hypertravel to arrive at their desired location.

Armored hand yanked the sliding door open, freezing air whistled inwards and pierced through their battle suits, anointing them as a welcome to the arctic world. He was completely clad in an ebony armor, blaster carbines at his waist as he zipped up a large duffel bag and hoisted it over his shoulder. The droid piloted vessel slowly steered closer into airspace territory; Gunner looked at his comrade, a soldier he had never served with before though he was confident the newcomer could hold his own if necessary. The stake of the Empire depended upon it.

Without another word, the lieutenant leaped from the flying gunship, barreling down as he pulled the lever on his vest and engaged a parachute apparatus. Gliding into the security of a canyon, his form was no longer visible by prying eyes on the ground below. Landing with a rolling thud, he scraped alongside shards of ice as he slowly rose to his full height and dragged the large parachute for several meters before detaching it from his breastplate.

Unpacking the contents of the black duffel bag, he slowly dug what appeared to be a hand-held console into the ice floor, illuminating the red LED lights on it. The process of connecting it to the HUD on his helmet seemed seamless but in this frigid temperature, any menial task became difficult. The bag contained two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades, and an aggressor series LRA sniper rifle. Extra power packs for his carbines were slung into a utility belt as was a large, white cloak to provide camouflage and protection from the cold.

Green laser sighting activated on the sniper as he began to track through the treacherous terrain, waiting for his comrade at arms to land besides him.

@Gian Greydragon

 

[Grug]

Grug hated Ilum. It was too cold and snowy, and there were seldom any battles to be had. It was boring. He was out here exploring the old Jedi world looking for the inner peace that many claimed they gained by meditating and seeking the crystals here. Beyond his usual simple items he wore a protective cloak around himself for the cold. His natural fats were actually good for the cold despite his dislike for the world. During his patrol, if one could call it that, he noticed an odd presence. The force was not one to speak to him often, but this felt different. His eyes squinted as he saw movement in the sky, and someone seemed to be landing with a big cloth onto the ground. He trotted as quickly as he could to follow it, rifle in his hands but keeping the other weapons on notice.

A quick peek downwards revealed someone landed in the small canyon and seemed to be setting up. It didn't look good to him. Grug was a shoot first ask questions later type of Jedi, but for now he chose to simply watch for a moment. He wondered if anyone else was nearby or saw this. Times were tense and fighting had increased. Some Jedi had warned Grug to be careful. He was never careful. He had learned to reach out with the force and spoke to any Jedi nearby if he could reach them.

"Grug find odd. Come to Grug?" He thought extra loudly while focusing on the force, hoping it would go out to the right people.

 

[Jubba the Mutt]

Jubba had found a kindred spirit within Grug and had spent numerous weeks getting to know the odd fellow as best he could although what he had learned was pretty limited. When Grug approached him about taking a trip out to Illum, Jubba thought he was joking but apparently not.

They didn't know what they would find there or if they would come back the same as they arrived but he wasn't about to leave his new friend all alone out in the wild parts of space. Reluctantly Jubba journeyed with Grug and set down easy enough, spending a few minutes gathering the things he would then try to keep up with his buddy.

"What is it Grug? I hope it's truffles." Jubba loved truffles and Grug certainly had the nose for it.

 

[Halmo'de Torobah]

The Sith Master had been asked to ensure that their comrades within the Cartel got their healthy dose of Isotope-5. Today he wore functionless Spacer Armor, underneath a thick snow white Wampa fur coat to keep the heat in, to at least look the part of a wealthy spacer trying their hand at acquiring some potent fuel for a few shiny credits.

Halmo'de didn't try too terribly hard to play his role, as he carried an IPR-5, although, any Jedi close enough to identify it, is close enough to be shot by it. He also concealed his usual pistols, and his lightsabers, as well as the rest of his usual gear. He was able to land just across the canyon from the two there on the scene.

Halmo'de's comrade had landed at the bottom of the cliff he now stood upon, as previously planned during briefing but due to the heavy snow, he misjudged his jump amd landed on the opposite side of the canyon to the figures across the 20 meter gap between the two cliffs.


Due to the heavy snow, he could not see, but only sense the two foreign signatures one the other side of the cliff, that he could only guess to be Jedi, or more looters.

He used the cover of the snow to move into position behind a stone, and reached out through comms to his partner, "Lieutenant be advised, we have two individuals on the ridge above you. They seem to have noticed our descent, tread carefully, amd look for cover very quickly."

 

[Gunner Stahl]

The lieutenant was not expecting resistance in this ice planet and especially not so early in their mission. He knew that perhaps the shipments would be well guarded or perhaps some dark side user to defend those crystals, but now, on the ridge?! Blasphemy!

He thought to himself but as he shifted his attention upwards, he glanced at the pair of Jedi that were standing above him. The distance between him and the Jedi was at least about 100 meters, plenty of range for his weapons to provide assistance if he needed them. A slight snarl came to his lips as he slid behind a rock formation himself, sniper rifle peering from out of cover as the spectacle aimed itself upon the Hutt and the Gamorrean.

"Potential hostile positions visualized and confirmed." He spoke into the comm link to his partner, "Shall we attempt and identify?"

@Cazar @Xorism @Gian Greydragon

 

[Halmo'de Torobah]

Halmo'de didn't need a moment to think, he saw no need to talk to these individuals. A Hutt and a Gammorrean smelled like the Hutt Cartel, but no Domo would allow their kin to fly off to a far-flung ice planet, for any reason, let alone with only one bodyguard.

"Negative. Move back and find cover from above," Halmo'de spoke to his mic, and peeked out from behind the rock he had hid behind, previously, channelling the Dark Side of the Force through his body, and focusing it to his palms.

 

[Grug]

Fear was an emotion Grug felt near him quite often. Children, women, grown men, and droids all seemed to fear him. Seldom did it spike like this type of reaction. There was a stench that even Grug noticed. Not physical but rather a spiritual stench of darkness. His senses managed to pick up one on the opposite side of the canyon who seemed to radiate the stench most, while the one at the bottom seemed to also have fear. They were bad people that Grug had to smash. He was certain of it. Both of them seemed to take a bit of cover without taking action, but that's not how Grug worked. Jubba and the Gamorrean looked like an odd couple but they were a well oiled and fed fighting machine.

"Jubba Jump Attack." He grunted to his girth blessed friend. "Bads over there."

The rifle he had been holding was a good bet for this tactic. Plus it was already in his hand which meant he didn't need to think. Thinking hurt Grug's head. They had done this in practice plenty of times and even used it in different situations. It was their signature move. Grug did everything he could to throw the Hutt like he was a boulder while the Hutt enhanced the toss with his own jump and force ability. One important detail, Grug was also hopping onto the Hutt's back as he did this. The pair would soar across the ravine like a knight riding his stallion in a glorious jump. At the peak of the jump, moments after it was initiated, Grug would begin raining blaster bolts down towards the Sith hiding behind a rock, now below and in front of them well within range of an easy shot. The Gamorrean was aiming more to distract him for unleashing a force attack or make him regret doing so with his painful blaster bolts of death.

 

[Jubba the Mutt]

Jubba couldn't believe that Grug wanted to actually try this out for real this time, the past few times had been spotty at best but now with others present, it could go horribly wrong, or worse. The gap wasn't that far with a force assisted jump even for a larger Jedi like himself, well especially for someone like himself. Perhaps whoever was out there would be taken off guard by a slightly more capable Hutt, something that he could take advantage of if they weren't particularly smart.

"Is that where the truffles are Grug? okay. What about the other one down there?" Jubba said igniting his blade.

Jubba could feel the powerful strength of the force building, flowing freely from the planet's core as he took in what he could before signaling to Grug that he was ready. Utilising the benefits gifted to him with the force, Jubba moved as quickly as he could toward the edge of the canyon and leaped with the assistance of Grug toward the other side which ironically gave an alternative ending to the question posed: Why did the Hutt cross the road?.

During his leap of faith, Jubba kept watch below them for the hidden threat and kept his lightsaber ready to try and deflect any incoming fire. He intentionally aimed to land on top of the force signature that had been detected (@Gian Greydragon ) which would be rather painful if he was successful although Jubba himself could possibly land atop the rock itself if he was unlucky.

@Faded Truth @Gian Greydragon @Cazar

 

[Halmo'de Torobah]

What Halmo'de saw had almost convinced him that this was all a dream. He did also realize that they had obviously sensed him. While fighting to keep a straight face, he fired a trio of Pulsewave Bolts from his IPR-5, at the underbelly of the Hutt, leading the shots as he gained height, starting at the height of the his jump, which felt like a quick pop in the Force from across the chasm, and making a point to aim below the blue glowing light emitting from his lightsaber.

Moments later, as they came into view, Halmo'de decided now was the time to release his stored Force reserves by fusing large bits of snow and ice, reforming them into dozens of dagger-like shards of hail, setting them to blow across a 3 meter wide area at the projected height of their jump. He would move out ward from behind the rock as well, tracking the duo with his eyes.

The Force Ability was simply the creation of the hail stone's at a strategic position that the existing wind would be able to guide them down upon the heads of the Gammorrean and the Hutt, before the height of their jump. The bits of hail were dense enough to break skin if not dealt with accordingly.

Given that the snow was already being across the chasm by a strong wind, the balls of ice being hurled at them would catch them on their blindside, as Grug would likely being aiming and attempting to fire his blaster, but his accuracy would be thrown off if he did nothing to avoid the shards of ice.

@Faded Truth

 

[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

Seek for the Book that was bound, In caverns deep, it dwells. There shall be counsels taken, stronger than the darkest spells. There shall be shown a token that doom is near at hand. For Vahl's Bane shall awaken, and her vessel forth shall stand.

She recited the words in her mind again, as she had last time... and the time before that. It made no sense to her, why she was bound to her father's weakness, but the two of them where drawn together by an uncanny, unseen will that forced her hand. She knew he would come here, she knew because the Sith Master that led the charge was the one to attack his adoptive daughter - her replacement. He would seek retribution, as all Vahla do, and it would prove to be his undoing. Unless of course the Order had twisted him to such degree that he no longer held true to the warriors code, but even that would be no surprise to her at this point. Even if the Phoenix did not appear, these weakling Jedi where in the process of preventing a rather important operation, something she could not allow. She had not been given this mission, nor instructed to aide, this was a task she herself had set. Too long had she sat awaiting commands, she longed for battle... Grįmmsvɍ hungered for blood, for mire, for death. The ancestral halberd almost gleamed with happiness at the thoughts that ran through her vicious mind, as though reading it's mistress' will and preparing to make it reality.

The Nightbringer that led the charge was bold indeed to take on two Jedi at once, no matter how meager their standing. They were but Knights, and she was eager to prove herself in battle - as the Lieutenant no doubt sought. Their communications rang through her earpiece, but she couldn't respond. Her vocal cords had been unused for years, it would take a long time before she could produce speech naturally again. If she forced herself, she might be able to squeeze a few words out - but that was pointless and tiresome. She could deliver her message easy enough with hand signals, actions, and the Force if necessary. She allowed the halberd to fall close to her hip as she waded through the heavy snow towards the imperial soldier, intent on ensuring both Knights did not seek to overwhelm him. Her muscles screamed in pain with each passing movement, it only served to bolster her connection to the Dark Side, her anger mounting with each silent, wrathful step. If the soldier noticed her, she would simply look down on him with crimson eyes and nod, as though to say 'Your back is covered. Do what you have to'. If the nod wasn't understood, she'd simply growl as she moved to cover.

 

[Gunner Stahl]

It was true that the Nightbringer was a ferocious warrior, and one could give accolades to the young Jedi as well, who despite the odds facing their order, still believed in their cause enough to challenge them. However, he was not only a lieutenant; while others in the galaxy were unaware of his alias, he too was a member of the infamous Black Hand. The only Shadowguard in the galaxy, and he had long decided that he would prove his worth amongst those in his order.

The sniper scope had been steadied on Grug this whole time utilizing the most comfortable zoom setting that enabled him a reasonable sight of fire onto his enemies. As the Gamorrean leaped onto the back of the Hutt, he witnessed a sight that could only be broadcast in vivid dreams or the most fascinating of television events. A Gamorrean riding a Hutt across a canyon?! Seriously?!

As they exited from the snow blanketed cover, their bodies were visible within the air as his sniper scope trailed their jump as they did so. Crouched at this time with at least 75 meters between him and the jumping duo, he fired two sniper bolts towards the Hutt's underbelly. Considering Jubba's anatomy, and that his lightsaber was in front of him, it would have been difficult for the Hutt to deflect bolts flying with such high velocity at a trajectory beneath him to his rear. Even if he did manage to do so, he would have likely had to change positions in mid-air, compromising Grug's mounted status as well as the Hutt's landing accuracy.

@Gian Greydragon @Cazar @Xorism @TheMorrigan

 

[Grug]

Grug's original intent was to either distract the enemy from attacking or to kill him with deadly blaster fire if he did try something. It turns out the enemy he aimed for did in fact go for a force attack as predicted and it wasn't exactly shot-breaking. The ice attack had been intended to make Grug less accurate, if he did nothing to avoid it that is. The Gamorrean both sensed and saw the spray of ice coming at their faces so he jumped up off of Jubba into the air and forwards to totally avoid the ice shards as he shot instead. His accuracy was not perfect, but the Sith wasn't even attempting to dodge and would pay for the arrogance in blood.

Two bolts managed to find their way home on the Sith's body. An unarmored right arm would be injured heavily and become a bleeding hole of pain while another shot made the chest armor do some work by being absorbed into it. That wasn't even to mention the world of hurt Jubba could bring if his path stayed true and landed on top of the Sith. That combination would surely be fight ending, if not deadly. That's what happens when you don't dodge or even try to push someone away. It made Grug sad to realize he would not get to fight this one for very long. But there were others here it seemed. The sadness passed as quickly as it came.

Grug would land with a big thud into the soft snow, ready to go into action again. His last attack had gone well and he didn't have time to worry about Jubba before pressing the attack. The Hutt Jedi was skilled beyond just being a giant mass. Jubba could handle it. Or not. Grug wasn't really sure. But it was too late now to worry about it. There were still hostiles to bloody up. The distance wasn't huge between them, but between the ridge and the snow there would be no line of sight for anyone involved now. It would take closing the gap before they could fight again. Grug liked fighting up close.

 

[Jubba the Mutt]

Jubba laughably misjudged how much power it would take to complete the leap and thus would land short of where the Sith had been hiding. His distant opponent fired blindly into the snowy cover relying entirely on the force to make corrections, the first shot sailed under him harmlessly with the second more accurately now striking his right arm on the Jedi dueling bracers. The third and final shot Jubba was able to deflect at the height of his leap just as the Sith's force attack showered him with sharp iced objects that would irritate and bruise exposed flesh of which he had plenty.

Grug abandoned him to leap forward as the poor Hutt Jedi tumbled forward, his erratic movements and sudden drop causing the large and frighteningly quick moving projectiles from the hidden Imperial (@Faded Truth ) to miss their intended target although the last one would severely graze his tail end, leaving a wound that would need medical attention if the Hutt made it off this world alive. His large body skidded across the fresh snow for a meter or two before coming to a stop 10 meters away from everyone before he could then pop back up and draw his lightsaber, igniting it for the battle to come.

 

[Halmo'de Torobah]

A sharp thud to the chest followed by a sharp, burning sensation not unlike having a Bantha brand jammed deeply into his right arm, cauterizing the wound on contact, but that did not eleviate the pain in his arm. He would back pedal several steps allowing his rifle to fall behind him drawing a lightsaber in his left hand and igniting it.

Pain and anger shot through his body as he let out a guttural roar, before ejecting the tibbanna gas chamber from his rifle amd flinging it behind him on it's sling and grabbing a single lightsaber up, and igniting a two meter long blade, holding it overhead, and downward at an angle, placing the entire blade in front of his body, except the lowest part of his legs.

He stood 13 total meters away from his enemies, planting himself in a defensive stance, while the Dark Side of the Force swelled inside him, feeding on the burning wound on his shoulder, leaving a scorched black mark where ghostly pale skin used to be.

"Seems Gamorreans are always in the service to the Hutts... How pitiful," he taunted, staring at Grug with piercing golden eyes.

 

[Narri Emrour]

Go help the others just in case they'd said, it wont be a big deal they said. Well, to Narri, these freezing temperatures were a VERY big deal, the sheer cold slamming through her protective layer like sharpened icicles. Her Lekku alone were already feeling stiff and numb, as if being frozen solid, in spite of the heated electric socks she'd put over them. And of course, that didn't even begin to cover the poor visibility, the snow in her boots, and the ice she kept slipping on. In short, it sucked, a lot, and Narri was already planning how best to murder the fool who'd sent her out here. She didn't care that she was maybe assisting Halmo'de, or that the one who'd sent her had just been following orders. No, she WAS going to lock the man in a freezer and then walk away, consequences be damned.

But before that, she needed to actually find her group and kick them all into high gear. That wouldn't take much longer now though, the other dropship had dropped her fairly close so they said, and she could sense the force in use right in front of her. Force in use huh, well it had better be an army, or Narri was going to dropkick Hal for forcing her to get dragged out of her comfy bunk. Heck, at this point, she was going to dropkick Hal ANYWAY, just as a stopgap until she found the man who'd actually woken her. Thankfully she'd come equipped for such violent measures, all her usual gear currently on her person alongside the extra thermal items that were keeping her body hypothermia free.

A roar, she heard a roar suddenly, though it was an oddly human sounding one, and Narri shoved herself forward in a rush. As if crossing an invisible line, she suddenly emerged from the weather onto the actual scene, staring at Halmo'de's back and what he faced. She blinked once, twice, grabbing at her lightsaber as she processed the scene, and then roared out at full volume suddenly. "ONLY TWO! KRIFF YOU!"
@TheMorrigan

 

[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

Oh what now? One of those strange Twi'leks... she seems uncomfortable.

For a reason unknown to her, she gently smiled as the girl screamed out there were only two. I didn't matter how many of them there were, they were blocking the path ahead and she would go through them if necessary. The pitiful part, of it all, was that Ilum was almost completely cut off from Republic aide, and without forces of their own the Jedi were helpless to defend against such might. She had believed her father himself would arrive, if for no other reason than to attempt to save her soul, or enact vengeance on the Echani Master. But it mattered little. His interference would cause nothing more than annoyance, and she still needed the Vahla alive to bring her mother back into the waking world. She heard the roars of anger from above her as blaster bolts struck home, and the familiar sound of hissing red-blades coming to life. She had yet to possess such a weapon, it was an unnecessary tool. If her current weapon failed her, perhaps she would consider an alternative replacement.

It is foolish to face me alone. You should run, little Jedi, while you can.

Staring the Hutt Jedi down from her position, she released a strange and guttural snarl. Whatever she had been trying to say was lost in her damaged vocal cords, and instead sounded like an animal's wrathful tongue. Bringing her halberd forward and impaling it in the ground in front of her, she reached out with her hands and sorcerous powers in an attempt to inform her ally of the plan in play. Should he respond, she would aide in boosting him up to the Sith Master's position, using physical means first and the Force second, being sure to guard him against any potential attacks.

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

Withdrawing his eye from the reticle of the sniper, he utilized the full peripheral vision of his HUD to glance at the damage he had hopefully inflicted. The snow storm proving to be slightly more difficult than he anticipated though he was certain that there was some injury caused to the back side of the Hutt. Remaining within cover still, the crouched lieutenant quickly surveyed the situation that he, his allies, and their enemies had found themselves in. The Gamorrean and Hutt were near Halmo, while the Twi'lek was approaching their position quickly. Gunner himself and Kathry were still close to 90 meters away at this time, as the original distance had now been reduced given the landing of the Hutt. Still, given Grug's position, the Gamorrean was close to 103 meters away from them and in the thick of snow without the benefits of a sniper scope.

Standing to his full height, he tossed the sniper across his back and nodded towards the Sith Knight accompanying him. Utilizing her physical aid, his armored gloves snapped at the rocky ledges in front of him before the Grapple lines on his gauntlet activated and shot upwards onto the top platform. Crawling onto the ledge until he could fully hoist himself upon it. Now, at the same level as the others but still approximately 100 meters away, he kept the grapple line active for Kathry as he himself sprinted forwards. Winter boots soaking into the icy terrain as Gunner came to a position 20 meters posterior to Narri and slid to a halt behind some rocky formations. Sniper peered once more out of cover while his body was well hidden. Laser sighting flashed as reticle took full aim and crosshairs floated upon Grug with definite clarity. Despite the heavy snow, closing the distance and the assistance of his magnification scope, the marksman could now clearly see both his targets. “Lord Torobah, I’m in position to cover your flank, what are your orders?” He stated, brining his left wrist comm link up to his mouth as he spoke while aim was still focused on the targets at hand.


@Xorism @Cazar @TheMorrigan @Narsi @Gian Greydragon

 

[Grug]

Grug was a bit surprised at the sudden arrival of yet another bit of enemy backup. This was becoming much more fun with more to attack. The Gamorrean Jedi decided to get physical now. He was a simple, stupid brute who did not care for tactics. Halmo'de taunted Grug, so he got Grug. The rifle fell into the snow as he dropped it and in his left hand he pulled out the vibro choppa while his right hand pulled out his lightsaber. While doing this he stepped forward, igniting the blade, and charged at the Sith Master.

The distance between the two was minimal, so it would take no time for him to be within strike distance. The vibro-choppa swung with all his might to Halmo'de's bad side where the injury was at. His right hand with the lightsaber lunged straight ahead to hit the Sith's lightsaber to lock it in or stab him through the chest if he blocked the choppa instead. Depending on the Sith's choice of defense, the choppa would either cleave through his shoulder and remove the arm painfully, or the lightsaber would go into his gut. Both were poor choices for survival. Grug's large, strong body would make it tough for the Sith to casually defend this one. He knew Jubba was nearby as well and would help him. The best part about this attack was charging lined him up behind Halmo'de so the hidden sniper would not be able to see him without shooting his ally first.

@Xorism @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Halmo'de Torobah]

Halmo'de felt no need to continue fighting over what seemed like nothing in the grand scheme of things. As the Gammorrean charged toward him, from 13 meters, away, Halmo'de switched his guard to a lower guard with the two meter long blade jutting outward and up at an angle. He was able to use the distance, with some footwork to outmaneuver the clunky blade, and parried the thrust, with minimal muscle movement, riposting away from the Gammorrean to throw him off balance - but rather he rolled past the clumsy beast and made a bee-line for the canyon, leaping off and landing, using the Force at the bottom of the jump to cushion his fall. His comrades were far enough away to make their own retreat. They would find another way to earn their Isotope-5.

/End Thread

 

[Narri Emrour]

What....was Halmo'de….just leaving? At first she simply thought he was dodging the fat pigman, just using really unnecessary movements to do so. But then he kept going, running and leaping off the edge of the canyon. Huh, well that was extremely aggravating, it basically meant she'd come all this way for nothing. It meant she had frozen several extremities, exhausted her energy, and wasted her time....all for nothing. Well on the plus side, she could leave, go back to her nice warm ship and mug that officer now. Not like she actually cared about the mission or the isotope whatever.

So, that's what exactly what she did, though she didn't do it so...elaborately. Instead, Narri just retraced her steps, vanishing back into the storm from which she came, ignoring the Jedi pigman. It was easier this time, as she had already trailblazed a path, though it was no less cold and horrific. Already she was using her commlink to message the dropship that she'd arrived from, sending her coordinates so she could meet it halfway. As she once again started trudging through the drifts however, she made a promise to herself. Next time she saw Hal, she WAS going to smack him.
/exitthread